Ahead of South Korea's Olympics, a ski resort decays

Yahoo News Photo Staff26 January 2018

The chairs of an abandoned ski lift sit on a barren, ghostly mountainside in South Korea; like gravestones for what was one a vibrant holiday resort.

As the country prepares to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in a raft of new sporting venues, the abandoned Alps Ski Resort, only around 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, stands in grim contrast, as the future of South Korea’s new facilities remains uncertain.

Located close to the border with North Korea, the resort had been used for skiing since the period of Japan’s colonial rule in the early 20th century and was South Korea’s oldest when it closed its doors in 2006. Its decline was caused by a drop in the number of people taking part in skiing, a phenomenon that has continued since the resort’s closure.

The number of South Koreans skiing has been on the decline since 2012 from its peak around 6.8 million in the 2011-2012 winter ski season, according to data from the Ski Resort Business Association of Korea. In the 2016-2017 season around 4.8 million South Koreans took to the slopes.

Whether local or national government will bear the cost of maintaining the 14 venues for the Pyeongchang Olympics after the games finish, is a matter of some debate. “We are making our point that (these facilities) should be managed by the state,” Choi Moon-soon, the governor of Gangwon Province, which will host the 2018 Winter Olympics, told Reuters this week.

“(The) ski jump slope, for instance: this won’t be used only by Gangwon and this will be barely used by anyone else except national athletes … So we’re asking those who will use to pay for it.”

Whether South Korea’s new and revamped Olympic venues will thrive, or face the same struggles that led to the Alps Ski Resort’s closure remains to be seen.

But the tattered buildings and piles of rubbish, including dozens of discarded toilet bowls, that litter the resort’s landscape are a reminder of the challenges the sport continues to face in South Korea. (Reuters)

Ski lift chairs hang at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A ruined swimming pool is seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

An abandoned gas station stands near the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

An entrance of the Alps nightclub is seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Pairs of skis are seen at an abandoned ski rental shop in front of the Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

An abandoned ski rental shop stands in front of the Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

An operation room for ski lifts is seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Ski boots lie at an abandoned ski rental shop in front of the Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Toilets are piled up at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Abandoned Alps Ski Resort is seen near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A poster of the snow-covered resort hangs on a wall at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Ruined entrance of the abandoned Alps Ski Resort is seen near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A poster of the snow-covered resort hangs on a wall at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Tableware lies on shelves at a restaurant of the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Abandoned Alps Ski Resort is seen near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Decommissioned ski lift chairs are seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A tourist map of Goseong hangs on a wall at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Light bulbs, bowls and plates lie on a windowsill at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A chair, a broom and a hanger stand in the main hall of the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Broken fans lie on the ground at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A reception desk of the abandoned Alps Ski Resort is seen near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A ski lift tower is seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Staircase is seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

Ski lift station and decommissioned ski lift chairs are seen at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea’s abandoned ski resort

A Fischer ski lies in grass at the abandoned Alps Ski Resort located near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Goseong, South Korea, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)